Hyundai Heavy Seeks USCG BWMS Type Approval

The United States Coast Guard (USCG) Marine Safety Center (MSC) has received its fifteenth application for type approval for a ballast water management system (BWMS).

The HiBallast BWMS has been manufactured by South Korean shipbuilder Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI).

MSC said it will review the application for compliance with USCG regulations. Once it has been determined that the application meets the requirements, the MSC will issue a type approval certificate.

The USCG has so far granted a total of seven type approvals for BWMSs to different manufacturers, the most recent being Techcross. News of the approval, the first for a Korean BWMS manufacturer, came during Posidonia 2018 shipping event in Athens.

“It took a little longer than we expected, which might be due to USCG having scrutinizing the first application tested by KR. We now have a system approved by both US Coast Guard and the IMO,” Jay Lee, director of sales & promotion for Techcross, said.

Apart from HHI, Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI) and Panasia are among Korean BWTS manufacturers waiting for USCG type approval for their systems, according to information provided by USCG MSC.